In partnership with The FA, McDonald’s is providing hundreds of free sessions, all delivered by a team of fully qualified coaches in hundreds of locations across England during 2022. McDonald’s free Fun Football sessions are looking to give more kids their grassroots debuts than ever before.
As part of their campaign, England Senior Men’s Manager, Gareth Southgate, is encouraging parents across the country to kickstart their child's grassroots journey. While attending a McDonald’s Fun Football session in Wembley, Three Lions boss Southgate talked about his own international debut and how he now helps new England players settle into the squad.
What was it like to make your England debut?
“From when I was about this big, my only ambition in life was to play football for England and of course there are moments when you think that might be close, and there are moments where you think it's a million miles away. That day, I just remember being on the bench, waiting and you keep warming up and you're hoping there'll be a change, and you start to think immediately of all the people that have helped you on your way to get you to that moment. So it was very, very special.”
How did you approach your England debut?
“I didn't want to go onto the pitch and hold back. You've got fifteen minutes, I'm going to run everywhere, I’m going to try and get on the ball and I’m going to make sure I do the right job for the team. Then you hope that you might get thirty minutes in the next game or forty-five minutes in the next game, whatever it might be. You’re trying to gain the trust of the manager really, and that’s what I tried to do.”
What was it like walking in to the England camp for the first time?
“What I do remember is going to my room at the hotel and all the training kit being in the room, and just putting it on, looking at the mirror and seeing yourself in an England badge, which I’d never done, I’d never done it at youth level. My senior caps were the first time I’d played, and so that was a really special thing to be able to just pull the training kit on even.”
What role do the senior players have when new squad members come in to the England camp?
“They all know they’ve been on that journey; they remember what it was like to be an England player for the first time. I think that’s something as an older player you always remember what your debut was like, what your first selection in the squad was like, and you try to make that as comfortable as you can for a new player.”
What are the unexpected challenges players face when making their England debut?
“I think that when players are making an England debut, we’re finding it is less about can they play at the level of the opponent, because sometimes the level of the opponent isn’t as high as it would be with their club, but whether they can handle playing in an England shirt and feel comfortable in that environment. It’s our job to try and make that transition as comfortable as possible.”
What do you like to remind players who are making their England debut?
“I think there are two parts to that really. One is that acknowledgment of the journey you’ve personally been on, so remind yourself of what it was like to start here and how hard it’s been, but that it’s still just a game of football, whether we’re playing here or we’re playing just over the back [at Wembley]. A few more people watching but the same two goals, a ball and a lot of people running around.
But then also, when you play for England there is that legacy piece, it’s something bigger than yourself and remember that you’ve got to keep that humility. It’s important to remember lots of people have gone before you and lots will come after you and make sure that you leave the shirt in a better place than you found it.”
How important is it for players to enjoy their England debut?
“The enjoyment comes in different ways as you play professionally because you’ve got to enjoy the challenge and enjoy the task that’s ahead of you as much as you have the expression and the fun part. You know, the fun comes a little bit more after the game with us, when we’ve won. But you want that balance of players feeling free to try things that might go wrong on the pitch, while remembering that at our level there’s a lot of people depending on us to win.”
How do you introduce new players to the squad?
“I think the nice part before the Covid restrictions was bringing some of the former players back in to present their shirts to the lads making their debuts. I’ve never seen Joe Cole look so nervous. He was more nervous giving somebody else their shirt for their debut than when he was playing himself. It’s quite nice to bring those guys back, it keeps our former player’s attachment with the team which I think is also important.”
How important is grassroots football to the future of English football?
“I think it’s important to be able to raise the awareness of grassroots football. In England, we have an incredible pyramid in terms of talent pathway, but also the funding and the chance for kids to come and enjoy Fun Football sessions for example is crucial. There aren’t always facilities around, there aren’t always coaches around, there aren’t always opportunities for kids to go and play, and McDonald’s has provided that for a long period of time.”
To give your child their grassroots debut and for the latest information about McDonald’s Fun Football sessions which provide free football for children aged 5-11, visit McDonalds.com/Football and follow @FunFootballUK on Twitter and Instagram.
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